GameSpy has just announced today that they will be making available all their tools and APIs for developers to use across all gaming platforms including Android. If you have played Dungeon Defenders then you may have seen the GameSpy logo at the start up of the game. Dungeon Defenders is the first Android title to use GameSpy Open.

With the announcement of GameSpy Open for developers to use in their game, we should start seeing a bunch of games starting to integrate GameSpy services into the mix. Just like OpenFeint and Scoreloop, GameSpy brings high scoreboards, leader boards, social sharing, and the ability for in-game purchases. However unlike OpenFeint and Scoreloop, GameSpy brings cloud storage capabilities that developers can use in their games for features like Save Games, screenshots and gameplay video storage. Developers will also be able to implement buddy lists and matchmaking abilities into their games.

Adding multiplayer to you games will also be easier as GameSpy supports both dedicated server multiplayer and peer-to-peer multiplayer gaming. You'll still need to have your own server for the dedicated server support but you'll be able to implement players connecting to your server much more easily now. Of course this is also completely cross-platform compatible as well.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to features and possibilities that Android game developers can take advantage of with GameSpy Open and in the true fashion of 'open', this will be made available to all developer for the low cost of absolutely free for anyone who is a small indie developer (or studio)! For more information, check out the press release below.

We will be stopping by the GameSpy booth and talking with the crew there about this and more at GDC 2011! Stay tuned!

From Indie Developers to Major Publishers, All Game Makers Now Have Immediate, Free Access to GameSpy Technology’s Multiplatform Online Game Services and APIs

San Francisco – Feb. 24, 2011 – GameSpy Technology, the leader in connected game services, has now made online game development faster and free by giving everyone complete and open access to the company’s entire catalog of connected game services across all platforms, including PC, Mac, consoles as well as iOS and Android platforms. GameSpy Technology is allowing up-and-coming game developers to tap into the same technology powering over one thousand of the biggest games ever made, including Red Dead Redemption, Bulletstorm, Crysis 2 and cross-platform indie hit Dungeon Defenders. This is the first time that truly cross platform AAA development services have ever been offered to developers for no initial cost.

“Smart developers are looking at their games as a whole across multiple platforms,” said Todd Northcutt, Vice President, GameSpy Technology. “We want to empower everyone creating games to make great online experiences and to build a bigger, better communities regardless of platform, team size or budget. In an industry first, we are making cross-platform services free, with the hope that we can help more folks make better games.”

GameSpy Technology’s APIs are now available via an easy self-service process, allowing any developer to access the APIs and start adding online functionality to their game right away. The cross-platform SDKs include open APIs for rich player data tracking to gauge game performance and audience engagement, user-generated cloud storage content tools to enable actively-engaged communities to collaborate and extend the gameplay experience, social network integration, in-game or web-based commerce and competitive matchmaking services. GameSpy Technology’s services have been tested and proven at multiple levels of scale, from small indie games all the way up to multi-million selling online console titles.

All GameSpy services are integrated seamlessly into the gameplay experience, allowing developers to maintain full control over the relationship with their customers. GameSpy empowers developers, giving them the tools and data to control their own destiny. PoweredByGameSpy.com will act as a single source for everything necessary to create world-class online experiences, including APIs and SDKs, community support, documentation and in-depth “dashboards” that show how a game is performing across a variety of metrics.

Trendy Entertainment’s Dungeon Defenders takes advantage of multiple elements of GameSpy Technology’s cross-platform online services, including multiplayer matchmaking and deep player data tracking, allowing cooperative games to be played by players on a PlayStation 3, PC, iOS and Android devices. Trendy was among the first studios to take advantage of GameSpy Open, GameSpy’s newly announced initiative to make all of its services available to start-up and independent developers for free.

The initiative is an important element of an ongoing effort by GameSpy Technology to broaden the field of game development to include up-and-coming startups and independent teams. GameSpy’s latest programs have included the recent “Indie Open House” program, which has seen IGN entertainment open up free San Francisco office space and resources for use by a selection of development teams.

IGN Entertainment, a unit of News Corporation, is theleading Internet media and services provider focused on the video game and entertainment enthusiast markets. Collectively, IGN's properties reached more than 37.8 million unique users worldwide June 2010, according to Internet audience measurement firm comScore Media Metrix. IGN's network of video game-related properties (IGN.com, GameSpy, FilePlanet, TeamXbox, Direct2Drive and others) is one of the Web's leading video game information destinations. IGN also owns the leading men’s lifestyle website AskMen.com and provides technology for online game play in video games. IGN is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices across North America, Europe and Australia.

About GameSpy Technology

A division of IGN Entertainment, GameSpy Technology is the leading provider of online services to video game developers. Founded in 1997, GameSpy has provided its connected gaming technology to the best-selling, most innovative games in the industry. Its various services—social, cloud, commerce, data and mutliplayer—are designed to make games more fun by helping players share their experiences. GameSpy’s technology is accessible on every gaming platform and has been utilized by more than 1000 titles to date, including landmark games like Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption, Nintendo’s Mario Kart Wii, and Crytek’s Crysis franchise.

AndrewH - Andrew is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of DroidGamers. Having been a hardcore PC and console gamer all his life, this passion is now applied to Android gaming and writing about it. When not playing or writing about Android games, he spends his time with is wife and son.